Container forming machine



Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT ori ce JOHN M. HOTHERSALL, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AssIGnoR 'ro AMERICANCAN' com- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N..Y., .A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

V CONTAINER FORMING MAG HINfi I Application filed September 19, 1928. Serial No. 307,014.

This invention relates in general to a device or machine employed in the manufacture of containers. It has more particular reference to an improved device or machine for curling or crimping and'sizing the open tops of lard pails or like containers which may be close by means of friction or slip covers.

An object of my invention is the provision of an improved curling device or head of simple construction, which is adapted to perform the curling or crimping and sizing operation in an easy and smooth manner and to produce a container curl of uniform size. and diameter.

Another object of my invention is the provision of an improved curling head having a series of curling rollers which, because of their angular arrangement within the head and the angular setting of the curling groove in each roller, provides a uniform'continuous contact between the curling rollers and the metal to be formed into the curl about the whole contacting surface of the curl. This angular arrangement of the rollers and the angular setting of the curling grooves in the rollers, as contradistinguished from the heretofore straight or right angular arrangement of these parts, prevents slippage or undue friction between the rollers'and the metal of the container to be formed into the curl and prevents abrasion of the metal to be formed into the curl and undue wear of the rollers.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better 3 Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the curlinghead shown in Fig. 1 and illustrates the relative position of the curling rollers and the knock out rods. i

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention I have shown on the drawing a container of the lard pail type comprising understood from the following description a cylindrical body- 11 and having a bottom permanently secured thereto by means of a double seam 12. The container is shown resting upon a support 13. The upper part of the container body 11; before the curling head of my invention is applied thereto terminates into an annular straight edge (not shown) which is subsequently bent into anannular curl 14 by the operation of the curlinghead. Figure 1 shows the curl in completed form.

Lard pails and similarly constructedcontainers have-their top edges curled either inwardly or outwardly (the-preferred illustrationshown in Fig. l-shows an'inward top curl) and their open tops are usually closed by means of friction plugs fitting inside of the can or slip covers fitting on the outside of the can. In order to present a'smooth appearance and to also provide an accurate friction fit for either a friction or slip closure,

tangular in cross section (as shown at 19) and the outer or entrance portion of the channel iswidened at 20, opposite wall portions 0f the channel being cut away to give an outwardly flaring effect. The chuck 15 has a rounded annular configuration at 21 and thence is tapered upwardly and inwardly to form an annularhalf conical side wall 22.

The top of the chuck 15 has an outer annular flat part 23' and a central raised part 24.

A shaft or vertical rod 25. having an integral collar or stop'flange 26. which may be considered to be a: part of anorganized machme, is secured in a bore 27 concentric with the central raised part 24 by means of a threaded lower portion 28 This shaft 25, is connected with any suitable source of ranged at spaced intervals around and' eX-- tending within the tapered annularside 22 of the chuck 15. These cylindrical recesses are cut into the material of the chuck at an angle or downward slant to the bottom plane of the chuck, each being defined by a cylindrical wall 31 and a bottom 32. These slanting recesses 30 are adapted to house the five curling devices or rollers as shown in Fig. 2.

Since all five roller mechanisms are iden-.

tical in construction only one of them need be described inv detail.

Each roller mechanism comprises a fixed shaft 33 having its inner threaded end 34 secured in a threaded recess 35 concentric with and of smaller diameter than the recess 30. The opposite orouter end of the shaft has its diameter reduced to a threaded portion- 36'which is adapted to receive a locking n-ut 37 for securing in place a closing plate hereinafter to be described The middle or bearing part 38 of the shaft 33 is of a diameter greater than the part 36 but-smaller than the part 34 and serves as a bearing fortwo collars39 secured at opposite endsofthe shaft portion=38 which col'lars 39 inturn provide partial race ways for a; series of bearing balls 40, the other complementary partsof the race waysbeing provided by a pair of collars 41 secured within the core of the curler roller 43, the collars or race way members 41 being-arranged in recesses at opposite ends of the core 42 and in spaced'concentric alignment with the complementary collars or race ways 39 upon thebearing-portion 38.0f the shaft 33. A spacing sleeve 44 is provided. between the collars or race ways 39- upon the shaft portion 38. The axis of the sh'aift 33-andcurler roll-er 43 is set at approximately a right angle to and alittle inclined relative to-the central axis of the head 15,. as shown, in Fig. 1.

Reference; numeral 45 indicates astop the roller 43sout-side the radiusof the ball' bearings. A circular closing plate of the same diameter as'the inside of the recess 30 is provided to complete the housing of the roller mechanism. It has a fiat outer surface 51, a central threaded hole 52 through which the shaft portionv 36 extends and has a protruding central portion 53 on the inside face thereof which provides for proper spacing between the plate and the outer fiat face of the roller; An annular gasket 54 is provided in a recess 55 on the inner side of the plate 50. This gasket 54 is in coaxial alignment with the gasket 48 and cooperates with the latter to prevent oil, moisture and dirt from coming in contact with the race ways and ball bearings. Oil holes 56 are provided in the top of'the chuck 15, one for each roller.

Reference numeral 57 designates a series of set screws, one for each roller shaft. Each set screw 57 fits into a circular threaded recess 58 in the bottom part of the curling head is asfollows: A container body 11 is placed below the curling head with its uncurled or straight top edge in concentric alignment with the channel 18. The head:

is then lowered until the annular straight edge of the container body contacts with the innermost parts of the grooves 47 of the rollers 43. The head is then rotated in a clockwise direction by means of the shaft 25 which brings the idle rollers 43 into rotative action with the result that the straight edge of the container top engaged by the series of rollers at as many diflerent points as there are rollers gradually yields to the pressure of the rollers and is formed into the curl shown in Fig. 1. One rotation of the head may be sufiicient to bring about this result or the head may have to be rotated several times, the number of rotations depending upon the weight of the head, the pressure applied to the head, the strength of the tin plate used in the manufacture of the container, and various other factors.

The curling. groove 47 of the roller 43 is of substantial Ushape and is defined by a straight wall part 60 and a slanting wall part 61, the two wall parts merging into a rounded'apex of substantially the same configuration as the completed curl 14. As

shown in Fig. 1 during the curling opera tion the straight wall part 60 of the curling groove engages the outside of the can body wall and the straight top edge naturally bends inthe direction of least resistance,

namely towards the widening flare of the slanting wall part 61.

The rollers 43 are set at the angle shown in Fig. 1 in such a manner that the grooves 47 of the rollers coincide substantially with the container wall receiving channel 18, the apex of the groove 47 being positioned slightly lower that the deepest point of the channel 18 so that a slight clearance is always left between the top edge of the container and the deepest point of the channel 18.

A more technical statement of my improved angular setting of the shafts of the curling rollers is as follows A line projected through the center of the axis of each roller and continued cuts a projected line through the central vertical axis of the curling head at a point which is on the same horizontal plane with the plane of the top of the container body.

When the curling operation is completed the curling head is raised, releasing the'curled container or in case the curl of the container should stick in the grooves of the rollers sulficiently hard to be carried upwardly with the head, a positive knock-out or stripping device is provided.

This stripping device consists of a series of rods 62 (in the present preferred illustration there are five in number corresponding with the number of rollers) secured in an annular bracket 63, held from vertical movement but allowed to rotate by means preferably fixed to the frame-work of the machine. The means for holding the annular bracket 63 in vertical position while permitting rotation thereof with the curling head comprises an encircling ring 65 secured by bolts 66 to the stationary frame-work of the machine and consequently held from vertical movement, a tongue and groove connection 67 permitting rotation of the part 63 being formed be tween the parts 63 and 65 for this purpose. The rods 62 are slidably moving in vertical bores 64 of the chuck 15. In case the curl 14 of the container body 11 should stick to the grooves 47 of the rollers 43 when the head is raised the lower ends of the rods 60 will engage the top of the curl 14 at five difierent points of the annular top of the curl 14 when the head has been raised a suificient height and push the container from the grip of the rollers.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a forming device for containers, a

tive .to the central vertical axis of the head for curling the container edge inwardly. i 2. In a forming device for containers-a rotatable supporting head having a vertical axis, and a series of forming-rollers; ar-

ranged in said head, each of said rollers havingitsaxis inclined toward the end of the head and inward relative to the central ver tical axis of the head and extending across attervis. being operated on for curling the container.

the edge of the container when the edge inwardly.

3. In a forming dBVlCQfOI' containers, a supportlngheadhaving a vertical ax1s,.and

a seriesof forming rollers arranged in said head, each of said rollers havingits axis inclined relative to the central vertical'axis of the head, and having a forminggroove cut in the face of said roller, the outer wall of said groovebeing parallel with said axis. of the head so as 'to fit the outer wall of thc container.

4. In a forming device forcontainers, a

supporting head having a verticalaxis, ,and a-series of forming rollers arranged in said head, each of said rollers having its axis in clined relative to the central verticalaxisof the head, each of said rollers being formed; with a groove having a vertical wall parallel with said axis of the head so as to fit. against" a corresponding wall of the container.

;5. In a forming device for containers, a supporting head having a vertical axis, and a series of forming rollers arranged in said head, each of said rollers having its axis set. at an angle other than right angle to the cen-' tral vertical axis of the head, said rollers be-.

ing idle rollers and adapted to be rotated by friction between them and a container to be formed, each of said rollers being formed with a groove having a vertical wall parallel with said axis of the head so as to fit against a corresponding wall of the container.

6. In a forming device for containers, a supporting head having a vertical axis, and a series of forming rollers arranged in said head, each of said rollers having its axis set at an angle other than a right angle to the central vertical axis of the head, and having a groove the outer wall of which is parallel with said axis of the head to provide a continuous uniform contact between parts of the said roller and the outer wall of the container to be operated upon.

7. In a device for forming containers, a supporting head having a vertical axis, a series of idle rollers arranged in said head, each of said rollers having its axis set at an inclination toward the end of the head and inward relative to the central vertical axis of the head and having a forming groove shaped to engage the straight top edge of a cbnfiainerbody and gradually fornr the sameint'o a; curl on uniform dimension during the rotation of said roller by frictional contactwith -said container',-th'e head being movable axially of and towards the container during said? forming operation.

8.- In ad'evicefor curling the top edges of container bodies, a curling head having a; vertical axis, aseries of curlingrollers With curling grooves arranged in said head With their axes at an angle other than a right angle tothe" central vertical axis of the head, said rollers during their rotation by their frictional engagement With the topof said container being adapted to gradually turn the straight top edge ot a container into a curl' ofuniform dimension;- and a stripping device for separatinga curled container from 35 said curling head- I l 1 9 In a forming device for containers, at supporting head and" a series of rolls ar-- rangedin said head, said rolls being grooved to engage the open unforined end of a can body and curlthe same, and said grooves being provided with outer Walls fitting against theout'er'surface of the can body. 7

' 1 0. lfn 'a forming device for containers, a supporting" head and a series of rolls 'arrang'e'din said head, said rol'l's being grooved to engage the open unformed end of a can body and curl the same into a curl from' a cylindrical surface of the can, said grooves being defined by vertical alls fitting against the outercylindrical surface of the can-body.

11 In a forming device for containers, a supporting head and a series of rolls arranged in said head, said rol'l' being grooved H to engage the open unformed end of a can body and curl the same into a curl from a cylindrical surface of the can, said grooves being defined by vertical Walls fitting against the outer face of the can body.

a JOHN M. HOTHERSA-LL; 

